‘I’ve checked every single one of them,’ Shelton went on. ‘They’re all pseudonyms. He was also extremely careful to leave out any details like places, times or other specifics that could have pointed to any particular person or group.’

So Roland Seaward had been telling the truth after all. Ben looked at Wolf and saw the expression on his face, darkening his features like a thundercloud. He turned back to Shelton and asked, ‘If Abbott concealed the identities of his fellow Satanists, then why was Seaward so afraid of handling the book?’

‘I asked Georgie the same question,’ Shelton replied. ‘She said he was worried that the real-life players would recognise themselves. These are powerful people who can wreck your career and your life in more ways than one. For once, I can’t really say that I disagree with him.’

‘What about Abbott? Was he just covering his tracks? Did he really believe that changing the names would protect him from comeback?’

‘I’m not a psychiatrist, Mr Hope. I can’t possibly tell you what Abbott was thinking. Neither can he.’

‘We’re wasting our time here,’ Wolf muttered. He was staring at Shelton as though he’d have liked to pitch him out of the window. ‘I told you this was a stitch-up, Ben.’

‘As I said, you’re welcome to read the manuscript, if that’s any help,’ Shelton offered.

‘Without actual identities, it means nothing.’ Ben racked his brain. ‘What about a man who calls himself Saunders, or Curnow? He belongs to some branch of intelligence, or something more obscure. He’s mixed up in this.’

Shelton shook his head. ‘I don’t know those names. They’re certainly not mentioned in the book, for what it’s worth. It could be he’s one of the Pandemonium Club members, but that Abbott called him something else. In which case he could be any of them.’

‘There’s an old guy,’ Wolf said. ‘Much older than Curnow and the others. He’s right up there at the top of the hierarchy. Carries a cane with a bird’s head, like the masks they wear. He was there that night.’

‘Again, I don’t recall anything about an old man with a cane.’ Shelton sighed. ‘Look, we’re getting nowhere with this. Let me see the footage. Then at least this won’t have all been for nothing. Please?’ He snatched up the silver phone again and turned it back on, poised to enter the password that would let him into the video file.

‘Why should we?’ Wolf said. ‘It’s not like you’ve exactly delivered on your end of the bargain, is it?’

‘I’m begging you to let me see it. I’ve waited years for something like this. You can’t leave me hanging.’ Shelton was so desperate, he was almost weeping with frustration.

Ben and Wolf exchanged glances.